Centrifugal humidifier



Aug. 27, 1929. E B, COMINS l y 1,726,213

CENTRIFUGAL HUMIDIFIER Filed Aug. 1o, 1922 2' sheets-sheet 1 j? 067760@Fra' Cani/zii.;

. L? btw( Cgpu f/(auf v @Zini-'173535 Aug. 27, 1929. F, B COMlNs.1,726,213

CENTRIFUGAL' HUMIDIFIER Filed Aug. 10, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented`ug. 27, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK B. COMINS, OF NEWTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO .AMERICANHOISTEN- ING COMPANY, OF BOSTON',- MASSACHUSETTS, A. CORPORATION 0FMAINE.

cnN'rRIFUGAL Hummrma. Y

Application led August 10, 1922. Serial No. 580,887.

This invention relates to improvements in centrifugal humidiiers. Moreparticularly it relates to apparatus in which water 1s thrown bycentrifugal action, and thus bro- 5 ken into fine particles bymechanical power,

and is then carried away vaporized in a current of air generated by anear-by fan. The

breaking up Y into fine particles of liquid which may float in air isherein called atomizing, and the converting of such mto v apor,invisible in the air, is called 'vaporizmg These terms are here thusdefined because they are sometimes used inthe trade with somewhatdifferent meanmgs.

In apparatus heretofore proposed, a 'rotating disk throws water.centrifugally against an arrangement of obstructing blades by which theflyingl film of-liquid 1s finely subdivided, the disk and fan being 20.operated by a Ysmall electric motor. The present invention providesimprovementsiin such apparatus. A

It is an aim of the -invention to provide for a very full loading ofvaporized water on the passing current of air'. Another object fis toprovide for complete and harmless drainage of whatever excess of waterremains above that which is thus transferred to air, when the apparatusis in operation; also to provide for safe drainage case the water supplyis left flowing when the rotation is stopped. -A feature which-tendstoward a realization of the iirst of these aims is the formation of theblades or teeth, by which water is atomized,in the form of two longcurls or helices of metallic ribboncommonly called spirals. These maypreferably be stationary at the periphery of the rotating disk, eachextending semi-circularly from its top to its bottom. They afford arelatively great length o f edge and a large surface exposure of lwaterto air, under circumstances where air and water are in relative motion,and where the tendency for atomizing and also forl evaporation arestrongest; and they adord a-drain for any water that is not carried offfloating in the air, or as vapor, to run down to the bottom withoutdiminishing the said Vgreat edge length and exposure surface.Co-operating with these is a rotor which is. a combined tubular andplane water spreader and air fan.

Other featuresof the-'invention are to adapt the principal parts bywhich the above named general aims are accom lished so that they performtheir respective ctions with a high degree of eiiciency, and in generalto provide the other advantages which characterize the inventiondisclosed.

In the specific embodiment ofY the invention here illustrated the bladesof a fan bon whose convolutions are suggestive of cones and whose axisis a semi-circular curve paralleling the periphery of the rotating rim.This ribbon, whose surface is more or less covered with water, in theaggregate presents a dimension of metallic' edge very largely multipliedas compared with the circumferential dimension of the disk. Owing tosmallne'ss of radius of curvature of the metal at the said edge, thewater has but a weak` hold upon it, and the water has high relativemotion with respect to the air which passes transversely andlongitudinally through the conical elements of the helix, thuscausing avhigh state of humidifying. Whatever water does not pass off with the airruns down the wall of the conical element whereon it is, outside orinside, to the midst of the helix, and then drops from cone to coneinteriorly. of the Y helix, to the bottom of the casing, whence itAdrains away. It will be understood that varlations may be made from theparticular form that is here shown for illustration. It

.is intended that the patent shall cover, by

suitable expression in the appended claims,

tion lthrough the apparatus of Figure 1.,Y

omitting the motor and showing a modified form of spiral defie'ctorwhich is part of the rotor;

Figure 3 is an end elevation, in section on the Vline 3-3 of Fig. 2; butshowing a spiral ag'ment deiector like that of igure 1 which is not apart of the rotor.

Figure 4 is a section on line 4-4 of Fig. 3, showing a detail, enlarged;

Figure 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3, showing details as seenfrom that line looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figures 6, 7 and 8 are sections showing details respectively on thelines 6-6, 7-7 and 8-'8 of Fig. 3 looking in the direction of the arrowsat the ends of each of the said lines.l l

Figure 9 is an elevation of La fragment, in section as indicated at 9 91n Figure 2, showing attachment of the spiral detlector to the rotor; l

Figure 10 is an elevation of a fragment of the apparatus shown inFigures 1 and 3, representing the arrangement at the place correspondingto the upper part of Figure 2; and

Figure 11' is an elevation, in section on line 11--1l, of the fragmentwhich is seen in Figure 10.

In the drawings, 1() indicates a source of power, which, as represented,is an, electric motor, for rotating the shaft 11 on which is mounted arotor whose form is best seen in Figure 1, within the fixed casing orhood 12. This hood .is about the periphery of the rotating part, whoseprincipal elements are j the hub 13, the tubular fan blades 14 and theperipheral p'lane 15. lin the form illustrated in Figur'esll, 3, 10 and11, the conical spiral deflector is in two sections 16 and 16 eachstationarily mounted within the hood 12 close outside of the edge of thedisk. lThe sections are semi-circular, each having its cones pointingdownward. The rotary disk 15 is a simple plane ringat the extremities ofthe arms 14. The arms 14 are tubular, of the peculiar cross vsectionseen in Figure 4, each tube being thin at its leading edge and thick atits lagging edge in order' `both to provide externally a sharp edge forA cutting 'theair and internally an ample vspace, for flow of wateralong that wall of the tube to which the wat-er is thrown by inertia asthe water moves outward on the rotating element. These blades arespirally arranged, so that water which starts in the tube of a blade canlag therein without piline' up too mu'chon the rear wall of that tube asit progresses from hub to peripheryg, and these blades are set askew, asis seengin Figure 5 in the way which is commonfwith fan blades, so thatthe leading facev of the fan blade propels air as the blade proceeds inits rotation. As the extremity of each blade is in a plane, where itmakes junction with the plane annular surface at the periphery, itfollows that the meta-l of the blade is bent askew rather sharply justadjacent to the said peripheral plane, as indicated in Figure 5 and inFigblade is set back from the plane; in Figure y 8 a portion is seennear the lagging edge of the blade which is set forward out of saidplane; and in all of these cases the open escape for water is seen. Theatomizing edge 16 is a helix-of metallic ribbon whose axis curves aroundcircularly s0 that the helix goes around the periphery of the rotatingplane 15. 1n the form illustrated in Figs. 1, 3, 10 and 11 this helixmay be mounted by being' secured at intervals to said hood. rIhe helix16 or 16", or 16- of the form shown in Figures 2 and 9, consists of fiatmetallic ribbon, each convolution thereof being roughly a section of ahollow thin walled cone. 'lhe convolutions may be of any desired pitch.l have found it prefer- ,of circumference of the disk there will beabout 13 inches of length ofV metallic ribbon; and as this has two edgesand-two faces there are in said inch of periphery a total of some 26inches of edge and also 26 inches in length of ribbon surface availablefor carrying water and dispensing'it to the.

passing air. lhe stationary rim 12 is suitably mounted as by a bracket2O and is shaped, as seen in Figure 2, so as to provide a passage forair around the periphery of the rotor. To this end the casing or hoodhas a part which'extends somewhat inward from the periphery on thesidefrom which air approaches, as'at'12 in Figure 2, while its edge onthe side toward which air departs is more nearly opposite the peripheryof the rotating member as seen at 12 in Figure. 2. The curvature aroundthe periphery serves both to direct air which flows there and to collectany water which may be thrown out by centrifugal force in glob- .ulestoo large to be carried off by the air periphery of the rotor and passesinto theally spread out over the front and back side walls of thetubular blade; and any which lags sufficiently is picked up by the edgeof the tube which is behind in the rotation,

The increasing speed` of the walls on which the water is carried, as thewater gets further away from the center, continues the tendency of thewater to spreadv over the surface; and

in the end the water is disseminated in a 'thin film which iiows at willunder'the iniiuences above mentioned over the plane portion of the rotorto the edge thereof where it is thrown off against the atomizing helicalconical ribbon.. If this ribbon be apart of the rotorvas in Figures 2and 9 the water can pass thereto without violentl shock and is thenfurther distributed and exposed to air, for evaporation or for beingbroken up into' small particles, called atomizing. .The current of airwhich is propelled in theaxial direction through the central part oftheapparatus, by the said4 fan blades, draws air also through Vtheperipheral portion of the apparatus. The helix of ribbon at theperiphery causes a great' commotion in the air which is there; andthere' ma be, if desired, stationary blades 'so that t 'e air movingaround with it under its propulsion is deflected in the forwarddirection, thus aug- Yinenting the flow of air past the periphery.

Such particles of liquid as are carried away from the periphery find airfor their prom t' evaporation in the body of air which is rus V- ingthrough the center of the rotor, impelled by the fan blades there'located; so that the product of the apparatus is a stream'V ofhumidified air, the production of which has been accomplished withoutthe need of a supply of air under high pressure or of water under highpressure, and with the requirements only of an ordinary supply'of waterand a very moderate electric current such as can operate a small fan.

The disclosed structure provides for atomizing liquid and also forvaporizing it.

|llhe helically formed ribbon serves as" atomizing means for liquidimpacted against it, and further atomization is effected by impact ofwater against the casing or hood..

The structure .and assemblage of Aparts whereby aVv large amount of wetsurface is presented in the path of the air results in vaporization ofliquid. A relatively large evaporating surface is provided by having aspirally formed ribbon, and the hood 12 is Y continually wetted byflying water'so that it presents a large evaporating surfaceover whichair directed outward bythe fan passes before escaping into the roomatmosphere.

Thus a considerableamount of vaporization is effected, over and abovethat which naturally occurs in the atomizing region.

With the form shown in Figures 2 and 9 the individual spirals. of thehelix, which are in the nature of cones should be arranged to move withtheir small ends in advance.' This causes the water to tend to pass overthe'outsides of the successive conical spirals with pressure of rushingair u on it, as the cones drive forward, pushing t e water over the'surfaces and to the edges of the tape and from cone to cone withconstant opportunity for it to be taken up by the air.

In the form shown in Figures 1, 3, 10 and 11 where the spiral deflectorsare not a art of the rotor,.the action is' different. v. he

Vwater leaves the edge of the rotor and liying through the air strikesthe deflectors -with violent shock'which -to an extent breaks it intosmall globules by impact and spattering. Such water as is not borneoil'v initially7 by air is spread out over the conical sur acesV vso ofthe spiral deiectors, 16 or i6', whence more of itis taken by the air;and-such as is not taken runs by gravity down the' conicaldeflector-surface on which it is caught, and passes down the centre ofthe succession of like surfaces, to drain out at the bottom withoutdeepening the coats of water on the lower conical deiectorsurfaces,thus.

this arrangement thedellectors 16, 16 con-y tinnally break up the film,collect such water Vas 1s not atomiz'ed o r vaporized, remove it fromthe surface that has received it, and.

'drain it in a separate path where its flow is uninterrupted, for.uickdrainage, :and

' where it does not interferey with 'the atomia'- ing action. v

Although the drawings show that form' of the invention in which theblades are inthe form of tubes it will be understood that'in some casesone wall of the tube may be,-

omittedand the water carried on 'the unenclosed surface of the blade, asit moves from the hub toward the peripheral ring.

What I claim is:

1. A centrifugal humidifier, comprising a rotor with water-carrying fanblades adapted at their extremities Vto discharge water centrifugally;'a water-carrying discal ring joining their extremities and adapted tospread the water into a film; and means for atomizing the waterdischarged centrifugally from the ring.

2. A centrifugal h11mi'diier,comprisin a rotorV with tubularwater-carrying fan blades; means whereby water is :introduced to theinterior of said blades at the hub; a

there being at t e discal ring at the periphery of the rotor carrying atits surface water discharged from said tubular blades and formin it intoa film and means for atomizing tie water discharged centrifugally fromsaid ring.

3. A centrifugal humidifier, comprisingv a rotor adapted to distributewater centrifugally into a film, combined with a succession of hollowsubstantially conical elements extending v`around. the periphery ofrotation said elements being open at their .points and rotating with therotor.

4. A centrifugal humidifier, comprising a rotor adapted to distributewater centrifugally into a film, combined with a metallic ribbon formedhelically into convolutions which individually are conical and whichextend as a series around the peri hery of the rotor, at a smalldistance there rom and rotate therewith. l

5. A centrifugal humidifier, comprising a rotor with tubular blades,constituting externally a fan and internally a Water-carrier, the saidblades being made with triangular cross section, having an angle of thetriangle in the lead and having a side ofthe triangle in the rearextending outward from the axis at an angle suitable for moving watercentrifugally on it,'whereon water lagging Aas it moves centrifufrallymay be carried around, eripheral edge of said blade an opening orescapevof water in radial direction. r

6. A centrifugal humidier, comprising a rotor with tubular bladesexternally constituting fan blades and internall constituting watercarriers, combined wit a peripheral plane ring adapted todistribute intoa film the water delivered by the blades; the leading face of each saidblade being set at an oblique angle to the axis and extending to bothsides of vthe plane of the ring.

'Z1-A centrifu al humidifier, comprising a rotary fan having at ,its hubmeans to rei ceive water and peripheral openings to deliver said waterto the arms of the fan; said arms, comprising Water distributing spiralblades; peripheral vcontinuations of the blades ,for distributing theWater centrifugally therefrom into a circular film; atomizing'means atthe edge of said continuations of the blades; and an annular hoodgulding air past the said edge and providing draing8. A centrifuiralhumidifier, comprising a rotary fan -havlng at its hub means to receivewater and peripheral openings to de liver said Water to the arms of thefan; said arms, comprising tubular, water-distrib-ut4 ing spiral blades;a penpheral plane ring to Whose vsurface the tubes of the blades de.liver; atomizing means at the c dge of said ring; and an annular .hoodguidlngair past the said edge and providing drainage.

9. A centrifugal humidifier, comprlsing a'A rotor with blades whichconstitute on one surface a fan and on another surface a water carrier,combined with a flat surfaced ring surrounding and joining them, wheretothe Water carried by them is delivered centrifugally; and vaporizingmeans at the edge of the ring comprising a series of substantiallyconical surfaces continually wetted by Water discharged centrifugally bysaid ring.

l0. A centrifugal humidifiercomprising, a rotor with tubularwater-carrying arms Whose faces constitute fan blades, the hub ends ofthe tubular blades being open to atmosphere at the hub for admission ofwater and air to the interiors of the blades; a water supply pipe at thehub, the said admitted. air being taken directly from atmosphere; thetubular interior of each said blade having a Wide and thin outlet at itsend for discharge of Water `centrifugally;^and means closely adjacent,for atomizing the water thus discharged.

ll. A centrifugal humidifier comprising, a rotor with water-carryingarms, with skew faces constituting propeller blades for air; each havingmeans for receiving supply water at the hub and each having a flattenedopening at its tip for centrifugal discharge of water as a film;adjacent circumscribing' means for atomizing the water thus discharged;and means inducing vaporization of the atomized water, comprising a hoodcircumscribing the tips of the fan blades and said atomizing means,constituting a drainage trough for unatomized and unvaporized water withdischarge at its bottom, and leaving an axial opening for flow of airsubstantially equaling in diameter the path of the fan blade tips.

v12. AA centrifugal humidifier comprising, a rotor. with water-carryingarms with skew faces constituting propeller blades for air; each havingmeans. for receiving ,supply water at'- the hub and each having its tipend bent in ldirection to e'ect centrifugal discharge of Water as afilm; adjacent circumscribing means for atomizing the Water thusdischarged; and a closely circumscribing hood leaving an axial openingapproximating the diameter of said circumscribing atomizing means.

13. A centrifugal humidifier comprising, a rotor with water-carryingarms with skew faces constituting' propeller blades for air; each havingmeans for receiving supply water at the hub and each having a flattenedoutlet at its tip for centrifugal discharge of water as a film; and eachblade having 'I as it proceeds vthereon from entrance at the hub end ofsaid lagging edge to said discharge; and means circnmscribing the tipsof the blade for inducing atomization and vaporization of the dischargedwater.

14. A centrifugal humidifier comprising, a rotor having tubular bladesexternally constituting airpropellers and internally constituting Watercarriers; said blades having a flattened outlet therefrom attheperiphery of the rotor whereby the water is discharged as a hn; andmeans adjacent the edge of said rotor fonatomizing the Water thusdischarged.

15. A centrifugal humidifier comprising, a

rotor having air-propelling blades; means at the axis ofV said rotor forsupplying water 15 to said blades; the blades being curved from the saidaxis to their tips so 'that the water in its movement outward due tocentrifugal force isv spread over said blades and discharged from theend thereof as a film; and 20 means in the path of said ilm foratomizing the water thus discharged.

Signed at Boston, ,Massachusetts, this ninth day of August, 1922.

FRANK B. coMiNs.

